


the things that you've been seeing, that you've been dreaming

by middnighter



Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies)
Genre: Birthday Celebrations, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 09:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15838161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/middnighter/pseuds/middnighter
Summary: Benji doesn't want to spend his birthday alone.





	the things that you've been seeing, that you've been dreaming

**Author's Note:**

> so apparently it's benji's birthday today, so i had to write something about it
> 
> thanks a huge lot to jo for her support while i wrote this mountain of fluff!!

If it weren’t for the phone call he got from his parents this morning, Benji wouldn’t have known it was his birthday.

He loved his job, he really did, but the insane schedule and constant relocation that came with it made it really hard to maintain relationships, or even friendships, for that matter. His social circle was mainly made up of work acquaintances, and truth be told, Benji didn’t think any of them even knew it was his birthday.

Benji did not want to spend his birthday alone, but his family was an ocean away, and asking someone from work to spend some of the day with him sounded just pathetic. The only people’s company that he would actually enjoy were busy on a mission without him, anyway.

His tea had gotten cold while he waited for something, _anything_ , to happen and make this day special, so he emptied his mug in the sink.

Benji turned on his computer, resigned to spend the day playing video games to distract himself. He still had a lot of Riddler trophies to find before completely beating Arkham Knight.

He was so focused on the game that he almost didn’t hear the doorbell ring. He put down his headphones and walked to the door. It was probably a delivery of flowers from his parents, so he didn’t bother to put the game on pause.

Benji opened the door and found himself face to face with a bunch of flowers. He looked up to thank the delivery man, only to see Ethan wearing a tentative smile.

Benji opened his mouth but Ethan spoke first. “Happy birthday,” he said. “I just got back from the mission in India, but here. I wanted to get you something.”

Stepping out of the way, Benji took the flowers and waved at Ethan to come in. “Thank you, they’re… they’re beautiful.” He turned away to hide how moved he was by the simple gesture and took a vase from the cupboard. “How did the mission go?” Benji filled the vase with water and put the arrangement in it.

The flowers were delicate, in soft tones of of orange and yellow, and they brightened up Benji’s simple appartement.

“The usual,” Ethan said without elaborating further, his lips stretching in a tired smile. He took out a paper box from behind his back and opened it to reveal a single cupcake and a candle. “I know it’s not much, but the French bakery was closed and I didn’t have time to look for another place—”

“Ethan,” Benji interrupted him. “It’s perfect.”

And he meant it. He didn’t care about fancy pastries when he had a red velvet cupcake and Ethan’s smile all to himself.

Ethan took out a lighter from his pocket and lit the candle. “To one more year,” he said.

Their fingers brushed as Benji took the cupcake from his hands and blew the candle out. “One more year,” he repeated, and took a bite of the cupcake. It was perfect, as Benji knew it would be. It couldn’t be any other way, since Ethan picked it.

“You’ve got some frosting… Here, let me,” Ethan said, and wiped Benji’s cheek with his thumb. His hand lingered there, and dropped to rest on his shoulder, in an open and genuine way Ethan only showed when he was too tired to think better of it.

Benji could see the hesitation in Ethan’s eyes and grabbed his hand before he could remove it. “Ethan, I… Thank you. For being here for me today.”

“I’m always here for you,” Ethan said. “Always.”

Benji bit his lip before he could reply anything too compromising, like _I love you too._

“Do you have somewhere else you need to be?” he said instead, and let Ethan’s hand go.

“I’m all good, I wrote my report in the plane,” Ethan said, his hand falling back to his side. “What do you have in mind?”

“We can put on a movie,” Benji said.

“Sounds like a plan,” Ethan said, and if Benji hadn’t known him for so long, he wouldn’t have been able to see the exhaustion in the way Ethan carried his shoulders.

Benji turned on the TV and put on a science fiction movie from about a decade ago. He sat down on the couch and Ethan sat next to him, disregarding the pillows to rest his head on Benji’s shoulder.

The movie started, and it was only when they got to the part when the captain of the spaceship sacrificed himself to save his crew that Benji realized Ethan was asleep. His eyes closed, a peaceful expression on his face, he looked nothing like the IMF legend who saved the world so many times, and that Benji idolized before getting to know him as a friend.

Benji was honored that Ethan trusted him enough to show this vulnerable side of himself. It wasn’t something Ethan let people see very often.

He turned off the sound of the TV. Ethan deserved to rest after his probably eventful time in the field. Benji considered what to do for a minute, and decided on reaching under the coffee table to pull out a blanket, which he drew over both of them.

As he let himself slowly fall asleep, Benji promised himself that he would tell Ethan he loved him tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> first work in this fandom, i hope i did all right!


End file.
